To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the number and proportion of personnel in each service who were (a) divorced and (b) separated in each year between 1997 and 2006. (251962)

For the number and proportion of divorced personnel, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to him on 28 April 2008, Official Report, column 51W.

Figures on separation rates for this time period could be provided only at disproportionate cost and no such estimates have been made.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the number and proportion of personnel in each service who were (a) divorced and (b) separated in each month in (i) 2006, (ii) 2007 and (iii) 2008. (251963)

Records on the number of serving military personnel by marital status for this time period are not held centrally, following the implementation of the Joint Personnel Administration (JPA) system and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.